Stereoscopic image-capturing apparatus

Abstract

A stereoscopic image-capturing apparatus includes a first digital image sensor, a second digital image sensor synchronized with the first sensor, at least one optical zoom with variable focal distance and associated with the first sensor or the second sensor, a digital zoomer for performing a digital zoom on a digital image coming from the second sensor, a resizer for choosing a resizing value to align an image to be aligned and coming from the first sensor and an image to be aligned and coming from the second sensor, and a depth map producer for producing a depth map.

1 . A stereoscopic image-capturing apparatus ( 10 ) comprising
 a first digital image sensor,   a second digital image sensor synchronized with the first digital image sensor,   at least one optical zoom with variable focal distance and associated with the first digital image sensor or the second digital image sensor,   digital zoom means for performing a digital zoom on a digital image coming from the second digital image sensor, wherein
 the second digital image sensor is a monochromatic sensor and 
 the first digital image sensor is a color sensor with a higher resolution than the monochromatic sensor, 
   means for choosing a resizing value to align an image to be aligned and coming from the first digital image sensor and an image to be aligned and coming from the second digital image sensor, and   means for producing a depth map associated with images captured on the same date by the first and second digital image sensors, using images coming from the second digital image sensor modified by the digital zoom means and resizing by the means for choosing a resizing value, wherein
 the means for choosing a resizing value is configured to be implemented at least when the focal distance of the optical zoom is modified, to calibrate the stereoscopic image-capturing apparatus, 
 the means for choosing a resizing value is configured to be implemented when the stereoscopic image-capturing apparatus is turned on or reset, and 
   the stereoscopic image-capturing apparatus is powered by an autonomous power source.   
     
     
         2 . The stereoscopic image-capturing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein, when the means for producing a depth map is implemented, to produce the depth map, an image coming from the first digital image sensor is rotated with respect to an image coming from the second digital image sensor along at least one and up to three axes. 
     
     
         3 . The stereoscopic image-capturing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the means for choosing a resizing value determines, in order to choose the resizing value, at least one rotation of the image to be aligned and coming from the first digital image sensor relative to the image to be aligned and coming from the second digital image sensor. 
     
     
         4 . The stereoscopic image-capturing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the means for choosing a resizing value uses
 an extraction of points of interest of the image to be aligned and coming from the second digital image sensor, as captured by the second digital image sensor, before any resizing, and   an extraction of points of interest of the image to be aligned and coming from the first digital image sensor, and   matching of points of interest taken from the image to be aligned and coming from the second digital image sensor and the image to be aligned and coming from the first digital image sensor.   
     
     
         5 . The stereoscopic image-capturing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the means for choosing a resizing value uses
 an extraction of points of interest of the image to be aligned and coming from the second digital image sensor in a form modified at least by the digital zoom means, and   an extraction of points of interest of the image to be aligned and coming from the first digital image sensor, and   matching of the points of interest extracted from the image to be aligned and coming from the second digital image sensor and the image to be aligned and coming from the first digital image sensor.   
     
     
         6 . The stereoscopic image-capturing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the means for selecting a resizing value
 implements a plurality of digital zooms with different values on an image captured by the second digital image sensor to obtain a plurality of modified digital images, and   uses a comparison of each of the modified digital images with an image captured by the first digital image sensor.   
     
     
         7 . The stereoscopic image-capturing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the means for choosing a resizing value
 implements obtaining, before resizing, a summary resizing value between an image captured by the first digital image sensor, and an image captured by the second digital image sensor, and   refines the summary resizing value into a refined resizing value.   
     
     
         8 . The stereoscopic image-capturing apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the means for choosing a resizing value determines, in order to choose the resizing value, at least one rotation of the image to be aligned and coming from the first digital image sensor relative to the image to be aligned and coming from the second digital image sensor. 
     
     
         9 . The stereoscopic image-capturing apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the means for choosing a resizing value uses
 an extraction of points of interest of the image to be aligned and coming from the second digital image sensor, as captured by the second digital image sensor, before any resizing, and   an extraction of points of interest of the image to be aligned and coming from the first digital image sensor includes matching of points of interest taken from the image to be aligned and coming from the second digital image sensor and the image to be aligned and coming from the first digital image sensor.   
     
     
         10 . The stereoscopic image-capturing apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein the means for choosing a resizing value uses
 an extraction of points of interest of the image to be aligned and coming from the second digital image sensor, as captured by the second digital image sensor, before any resizing, and   an extraction of points of interest of the image to be aligned and coming from the first digital image sensor includes matching of points of interest taken from the image to be aligned and coming from the second digital image sensor and the image to be aligned and coming from the first digital image sensor.   
     
     
         11 . The stereoscopic image-capturing apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the means for choosing a resizing value uses
 an extraction of points of interest of the image to be aligned and coming from the second digital image sensor in a form modified at least by the digital zoom means, and   an extraction of points of interest of the image to be aligned and coming from the first digital image sensor, and   matching of the points of interest extracted from the image to be aligned and coming from the second digital image sensor and the image to be aligned and coming from the first digital image sensor.   
     
     
         12 . The stereoscopic image-capturing apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein the means for choosing a resizing value uses
 an extraction of points of interest of the image to be aligned and coming from the second digital image sensor in a form modified at least by the digital zoom means, and   an extraction of points of interest of the image to be aligned and coming from the first digital image sensor, and   matching of the points of interest extracted from the image to be aligned and coming from the second digital image sensor and the image to be aligned and coming from the first digital image sensor.   
     
     
         13 . The stereoscopic image-capturing apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the means for selecting a resizing value
 implements a plurality of digital zooms with different values on the image captured by the second digital image sensor to=obtain a plurality of modified digital images, and   uses a comparison of each of the modified digital images with an image captured by the first digital image sensor.   
     
     
         14 . The stereoscopic image-capturing apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein the means for selecting a resizing value
 implements a plurality of digital zooms with different values on the image captured by the second digital image sensor=to obtain a plurality of modified digital images, and   uses a comparison of each of the modified digital images with an image captured by the first digital image sensor.   
     
     
         15 . The stereoscopic image-capturing apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the means for choosing a resizing value
 implements obtaining, before resizing, a summary resizing value between an image captured by the first digital image sensor, and an image captured by the second digital image sensor, and   refines the summary resizing value into a refined resizing value.   
     
     
         16 . The stereoscopic image-capturing apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein the means for choosing a resizing value
 implements obtaining, before resizing, a summary resizing value between an image captured by the first digital image sensor, and an image captured by the second digital image sensor, and   refines the summary resizing value into a refined resizing value.